The New York Rangers fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in a regular-season contest on April 11. They haven’t lost a game since.
The Presidents’ Trophy winners continued their unbeaten start to the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday, outlasting the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-3 overtime victory. The Game 3 win came after New York defeated Carolina in a double-OT marathon in Game 2.
The Rangers, who swept the Washington Capitals in Round 1, are now 7-0 in the playoffs and winners of nine straight overall. A Game 4 victory over Carolina on Saturday would send New York to its second Eastern Conference Final in three years.
If the Rangers are able to secure a second consecutive series sweep, they would also be halfway to a historic Stanley Cup title run…
Has a team ever swept the NHL playoffs?
Since the NHL playoffs moved to four best-of-seven rounds in 1987, no team has gone unbeaten en route to a Stanley Cup championship.
What’s the record for wins to start the NHL playoffs?
This year’s Rangers are the 12th team to ever start a postseason with at least seven straight wins. The Edmonton Oilers’ 9-0 start to their 1985 championship run stands as the best among that group.
The Detroit Red Wings in 1952 and the Montreal Canadiens in 1960 had their streaks end at eight because, at the time, that was enough to earn them a championship. The St. Louis Blues also started 8-0 in the 1969 playoffs before being swept by Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final.
What’s the best NHL playoff record?
The Oilers own the best single-postseason record in modern NHL history. Wayne Gretzky and Co. captured the 1988 Cup in just 18 postseason games, with their 16-2 record being tops among champions since 1987. Edmonton’s two losses came against the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round and the Red Wings in the conference final.
The Colorado Avalanche in 2022 became the fifth Cup winner to go 16-4 in a single postseason, joining the Canadiens in 1993, New Jersey Devils in 1995, Red Wings in 1997 and Los Angeles Kings in 2012. Those five champions are tied for the second-best postseason record since 1987 behind Edmonton.
What’s the longest winning streak in the NHL playoffs?
This year’s Rangers have already matched the franchise record for longest playoff winning streak. New York also won its first seven playoff games in 1994, which was the last time the Rangers hoisted the Stanley Cup.
New York is now four wins away from matching the single-postseason record for consecutive victories at 11, a feat achieved by three teams.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins both won 11 straight games during the 1992 playoffs. The two clubs met in the Stanley Cup Final, where Pittsburgh swept Chicago. The Canadiens also ripped off 11 straight playoff victories in 1993 during their title run.
The 1970 Cup-winning Boston Bruins are the only other team with a winning streak of at least 10 games in a single postseason.
The longest playoff winning streak overall, meanwhile, is owned by the Penguins, who won 14 straight postseason contests from 1992 to 1993.
Here’s everything to know about the 2024 NHL Draft lottery results.